The Dark Knight…King?

It looks like Ben Affleck’s days as Batman are numbered. Or may be officially done. A mostly sad day for the few fans of the DCEU that are left. If he’s truly done, the Batman that Affleck depicted never really had his day. Only the arguable highlights of divisive films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. But sometimes fans are allowed looks into the powerful “What if?” machines. Giving us glimpses into other universes by way of our own imagination. Like the idea that Richard Armitrage, the actor who played the Dwarf King Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit trilogy, was almost cast as Batman. Oh wait, that happened!

According to a new interview in Digital Spy, he underwent quite the ordeal to try and get the part. He managed to make it to the final 5 or 6 candidates before eventually losing to Ben Affleck.

There was a little flurry once upon a time just after I’d come out of The Hobbit where I auditioned for Batman. It was at the same time that Christian Bale was leaving, there were about five or six actors that were in line for that character, so I went through quite a process with that.

Armitage is an fan of the character, briefly discussing his appreciation for Batman.

The sort of darker side of a man, and the desire to right some wrongs… I think it’s really interesting, that character Bruce Wayne.

The English actor managed to pull off the role of a Dwarven King going through some sort of madness, could he pull off The Dark Knight? Fantasy films and superhero films have a lot in common, after all. But it wouldn’t be the first time Armitage has entered the superhero realm…

Captain America’s First Villain

Richard Armitage had a brief role in Captain America: The First Avenger as Heinz Kruger, a Nazi spy and assassin working for Hydra. Armitage technically played the first villain that the First Avenger ever stopped. An interesting record to hold in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Armitage is an excellent actor worthy of an even bigger part, he did a great job in a scene involved several complicated stunts. One that helped to introduce Chris Evans as Captain America, and Hydra as his most dangerous foe. But that’s not all!

The 46-year-old actor has also been rumored for the part of Wolverine. He bears a striking resemblance to Hugh Jackman, so that helps, but he’s currently playing the part! Marvel is releasing their first ever scripted Podcast called Wolverine: The Long Night. An interesting spin on the old radio serials that have seen renewed interest thanks to the countless amazing podcasts being released daily.

It’s a smart move for Marvel, an even smarter move was casting Richard Armitage in the role of Wolverine. The actor is voicing Logan in all 10 episodes of the series, which should be widely released by this Fall. So Richard Armitage has managed to find his way into superhero films and projects, after all. He wasn’t Batman, but he managed to antagonize Captain America and is currently playing Wolverine.

Playing one of the most famous superheroes ever, in any format, is something to be appreciated. The actor might someday find himself in a DC film. It looks like Matt Reeves is now looking for a younger Batman, but Armitage has proved he could make an excellent villain. Hopefully, his career continues down the superhero route.

How do you think Richard Armitage would performed as Batman? Let us know!

About The Author

Daniel Mills is a screenwriter and director working in Los Angeles, California. Far too many comics and Forgotten Realms-novels led him to want to tell stories of his own. From articles and opinion pieces to reviews and screenplays, he sees every new opportunity as another new realm waiting to be explored.

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